Windows 10 October 2018 Update is available from today
Microsoft is hosting a special event in New York City where it is taking the wraps off the next generation of Surface devices.
It’s not just about hardware though, as the tech giant has announced the next big feature update for Windows 10, the October 2018 Update, is now available to download.
Microsoft re-open-sources early versions of MS-DOS on GitHub
Back in 2014, Microsoft gave the source code for MS-DOS 1.25 and MS-DOS 2.0 to the Computer History Museum. Now -- in a move it describes as "re-open-sourcing" -- the company has pushed the code to GitHub for all to see.
Dating from mid-1983, the source code may moisten the eyes of anyone who remembers the days of text-based operating systems, and it gives an interesting glimpse into the world of software development a few decades ago.
NetMarketShare shows Windows 10's share falling, Windows 7 rising
Usage share monitoring service StatCounter saw Windows 10 overtake Windows 7 back in February, and its latest figures put the new operating system on 50.07 percent, well ahead of Windows 7 on 37.2 percent.
Rival monitoring service NetMarketShare disagrees however. While Windows 10 gained significant share in August, at Windows 7’s expense, the latest figures, for September, show a reversal of fortune.
Microsoft stops development of touch-friendly Office apps for Windows
Microsoft has confirmed that it is no longer developing the touch-friendly versions of Office apps for Windows
The Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile apps found in the Microsoft Store first appeared for Windows 8.1, and development has continued with the release of Windows 10. But now this is changing, with Microsoft saying it wants to focus on the Win32, web, iOS and Android versions instead.
Consumer Reports now recommends Microsoft Surface laptops -- apart from Surface Go with its 'lag'
Last year Consumer Reports stripped Microsoft Surface laptops of its coveted "recommended" status because of concerns about reliability. But now the badge of honor has been restored, with the publication saying: "Microsoft's reliability is now on par with most other laptop brands".
While the vast majority of the Surface laptop range is now recommended by Consumer Reports, the Surface Go is not. The reason for this is that in lab tests, the device's performance was found to be subpar.
Microsoft is sending Skype classic to the software graveyard in November
The death of Skype classic (or Skype 7.0 if you prefer) was reported a number of weeks ago, but after angry and emotional outpourings from users, Microsoft said that it would (slightly) extended its life. Now the company has revealed the new execution dates.
Dates is plural because the killing off of Skype classic is going to be a two-step process. The desktop version is first for the chop on November 1, with the mobile versions following a little later.
Microsoft sullies the sanctity of console gaming with Xbox One mouse and keyboard support
Microsoft makes many good decisions, but unfortunately, it pulls a lot of boners too. I mean, Windows 8... need I say more? I do? oh, OK. Bob, Kin, Windows Phone -- you get the idea.
One area where Microsoft does a lot of good is with Xbox. Quite frankly, it is very impressive that the Windows-maker is so successful in the gaming market. Granted, Sony is doing much better with PlayStation 4, but I digress. Unfortunately, Microsoft is making a huge mistake with a recent announcement -- mouse and keyboard support for Xbox One.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18247 to Skip Ahead Insiders
The Windows 10 October 2018 Update is expected to arrive as early as next week, but for those people who are already looking forward to the following feature update, out next spring, Microsoft has a new build for you.
Build 18247, on the 19H1 branch, isn't the most exciting Skip Ahead build you'll ever encounter, as it doesn't contain any new features.
Microsoft launches Azure-based Windows Virtual Desktop for running Windows in the cloud
Microsoft has announced Windows Virtual Desktop, a way to run virtualized instances of Windows and Office in the cloud.
Running on Azure, Windows Virtual Desktop offers multi-user supports and enables several people to remotely log into the same Windows 10 virtual machine. Microsoft says that the service is also optimized for Office 365 ProPlus and notes that it includes free Windows 7 Extended Security Updates.
Microsoft is launching the Surface Hub 2S in 2019, and the Surface Hub 2X in 2020
Microsoft has announced that it is launching the Surface Hub 2S in the second quarter of 2019. The next version of the company's gigantic, business-focused touchscreen display is (slightly) smaller at a mere 50.5 inches, rather than the existing 55- and 84-inch options.
Following on from this in 2020 is the Surface Hub 2X which brings not only multiuser login, but also the ability to rotate and tilt the screen. Interestingly, an upgrade will be possible from the 2S to the 2X by means of a removable processor cartridge.
Windows 10 now has its own exclusive Linux distro -- WLinux
There are a number of Linux distros available for the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), including Ubuntu, openSUSE Leap 42, Debian GNU/Linux, and Kali Linux.
However, these distros tend to lack development tools and contain unnecessary packages, such as systemd. WLinux is a new, open source Linux distribution based on Debian stable that has been specially optimized for WSL.
Microsoft is bringing Skype to Alexa devices
Microsoft has announced that Skype is coming to a range of Alexa devices.
At its hardware event yesterday, Amazon revealed the updated Echo Show with integrated Skype, but later this year voice-activated Skype calling will be landing on other Alexa devices. The feature will make it possible to place and receive Skype voice calls, video calls and SkypeOut calls.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17763 to the Fast ring
Three days ago, Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Build 17760 to Windows Insiders. This build for the forthcoming October 2018 Update (aka Redstone 5) was the first with "no known issues”, showing how close we're getting to the actual release.
Since then, however, the company has found and fixed a number of additional problems, and encountered a couple more which will be addressed in a subsequent build.
Everything removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update
Microsoft is introducing a number of new features in Windows 10 1809, aka the October 2018 Update, including a dark theme for File Explorer, a new screenshot tool, and clipboard, search, Notepad, and Edge improvements. Sadly what promised to be the big new feature, Sets, hasn't made it into the OS this time around.
With each new Windows 10 update, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here are all the features that have been removed or deprecated in this forthcoming release.
Microsoft and Canonical release Ubuntu Linux virtual machine image for Hyper-V Quick Create
Linux may be the future of computing, but Windows is the present -- on the desktop, at least. For now, both business and home users are wise to stick with Microsoft's operating system. With that said, tech savvy users might be better served by, say, Linux Mint or Ubuntu. While Windows 10 is riddled with privacy and user interface issues, it is still the least stressful way to use your computer -- you are less likely to have hardware or software compatibility issues.
If you are interested in Linux but need to use Windows 10, there are many ways to also run operating systems based on the open source kernel, such as dual-booting or running a virtual machine. Not to mention, with Windows Subsystem for Linux, you can even download and install distros directly from the Microsoft Store! Today, the Windows-maker and Canonical announce a new way to run Ubuntu on Windows 10 -- a special "Hyper-V Quick Create" VM image
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